Improving internal medicine residents' performance, knowledge, and confidence in central venous catheterization using...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Simulation
• Internal Medicine Training

Background:

• The effectiveness of simulators for teaching central venous catheterization (CVC) within internal medicine residency programs remains largely unestablished.
• This study addresses the gap in understanding the impact of simulation-based training on CVC skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if learning central venous catheterization (CVC) on simulators leads to enhanced procedural performance.
• To assess the impact of simulator training on residents' knowledge regarding CVC procedures.
• To determine if simulator training improves residents' self-reported confidence in performing CVCs.

Main Methods:

• First-year internal medicine residents underwent simulator-based CVC training.
• Participants were assessed pre- and post-training using video-recorded CVC insertions and multiple-choice knowledge tests.
• Procedural technique, knowledge retention, and confidence were evaluated, with reassessment at 18 months.

Main Results:

• Global rating scores for CVC performance significantly improved post-training (median 3.5 to 4.5, P < 0.001).
• Checklist scores, knowledge assessment scores, and self-reported confidence all showed statistically significant increases (P < 0.001).
• Improvements in knowledge and confidence were sustained at the 18-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Simulator training is an effective method for enhancing central venous catheterization (CVC) procedural skills in internal medicine residents.
• Simulation-based education leads to significant improvements in procedural performance, knowledge, and confidence.
• The positive effects of simulator training on knowledge and confidence demonstrate long-term retention.